Device for cleaning and smoothing films and the like



July 10, 1928.

. J. J. F. STUCK DEVICE FOR CLEANING AND SMOOTHING FILMS AND THE LIKE Filed June 17 1926 UN T D-ST T S PATENT" Patented July I 1 0, 1 928.

aoHAuN Jason FRIEDRICH srocx', oi MIifN ICH, GERMANY. I

DEVICE FOR CLEANING Ann SMOOTI-IING FILMS AND THE LIKE;

' Application fileaaun 17,1926, SeriaLNo.

,This invention relates to devices for mechanlcally cleaning andsmoothing cinematograpjhic films and the like when they have become rough in use; Themain object of the invention is to provide a new means for film treatment embodying an improved process whereby heating, buckling, and breaking of the a film, such asexperienced with the hitherto known mechanicaltreatments, is successfully avoided and an effec tivecleaning and smoothing is attained a without the material of the film beingin any way affected.

Anotherobject of the invention is the provision of means permittlng an even tensioning of the film during its passage through the cleaning and smoothing device, and to givelnotice toan attendant in case of a disturbance occurring in the working of the machine, 7 a. V g p These and other objects, of the invention are accomplished mainly by the provision vof and treatment'fwith metallic rotary brushes arranged within special cleaning cases and:

over which the film is passed under the tension effected by weighted rollers which are loosely insertedin depending loops of the film atea'ch'side ofthe metallic brush or brushes.

Theaccom )an' in' drawin sillustrate the y s s inventionby vway of example.

-Fig. 1 is a part-sectional sideelev'ation;

brushes at each side; and Fig; 4 illustrates a wiring diagram for an electrical alarm arrangement. i

In said ,drawmgs, the letteru denotes a machine casingwhich in the form shown has the shape of a box or cupboard-and which is accessible by doors or shutter b. lVithin'the casing .a, an "electric motor 0' is arranged, while on its top, unwinding and windingup drums or reels (Z and e are shown mounted to extend beyond the end walls ofthe casing. The winding-up drums e are rotated'by the electric motor a over a counter- ,shaft arrangement which will be more specific'ally referred to hereinafter.

Upon a shaft f which extends through the machine casing, circular brushes 0v are arranged one at each side wall of the casing,

shows a modified form of device 116,677, and 'in' Germany, March 30, 1926.

- which h'asgood 1 heat conducting qualities wherea gapor slot is left free'at each side ferries.

thereof for the fihnto pass through. 0w

ing to the fact of. a brush being provided at each side of the. apparatuaone of-said j i' brushes may be -used for -theFtreatment of V the*picture carrying layer ofa filniwhile the other brush onthe side may be of a correspondingly finertexture and serve for the the fil1n'.-

.From aflshaft w rollers i, the shafts 7c, is for othertrans port rollers m and n are driven by means of I an intermediate gear h, a worm and worm wheel arrangement being used by preference as shown inFig. 2 of the drawings.

. When; the 'device i s' working the film passes from the supply or unwinding reel d over the transport roller m and-, by forming a downwardlydepending loo raround and upward again from an idling roller r past and inlcontactwith the wire brush 0, over the'central transport roller 2', down again along and in contact with the other treatment of the picture oremulsion side of carryingthe film. transport '7 side of the. brush and finally; by forming I at-secondfloop" around another idling. roller 9' over the transport roller n onto the windllihile passing' the brush 0,7the film preferably moves in the same direction with the brush, andthe working contact between the twofis" maintained by the idling rollers r yieldingly movable along guide slots 8 formed in the casing a at each side of the brush and serving as tension regulating weights in a manner which is not new per se. Saidroller-weights are obviously capable of up and down movement with their axles guided in said slots in'the machine casing. An electrlcal .circult may be arranged 1n connection with the device, embodying contacts 1 and 2 located at the upper and lower ends of the slots .9 so that in event of disturbance in orinterruption of operation, when the tension of the film becomes excessively loose or tight, the roller 9" would press against one or the other of the respective assooiatedrcontacts as shown at the bottom right-hand corneinof Fig. i, and close-tho circuit through an alarm buzzer or hell 3 or the like connected in the circuit with the wires 4; and 5. Obviously, if desired, the electrical circuit may be employed to automatically stopthe machine'rather than merely to sound an alarm.

The lower portion'of each of the side casings g is formed as a closedcontainer tfor the reception of a cleaning liquid, such as methylated spirit, petrol, or the like.

The invent-ion obviously is not'limited to cated in Fig. 3, in which three cases g g and 9 containing three wire brushes 0 0 and 0 are provided at each side of the main casing.

The chief technical'advantage of the invention rests 'in the prevention of undue heating of the'films. The metallic wires of the brushes being excellent conductors of heat, immediately take up the heat from the film and pass it onto the surrounding air which is kept in constant circulation by the rapidity of the brush rotation. Thus a film treated by the improved method can not become unduly heated even if it bears upon the rotating brush strong pressure.

\Vhat I claim is 1. A device for cleaning and smoothing worn films and the like, comprising a machine stand, a metallic wire brush rotatably arranged upon the machine stand, means to move the film past and in contact with the with a comparatively said wire brush, and means to exert a-c0n-.

stantco-operative pressure between the film and-the said brush.

2.-A device for cleaning and smoothing films and the like, comprising a machine stand, a closed casing on the machine stand, a metallic wire brush rota-tably arranged within the casing, a slot in the casing for the film to pass through in peripheral contact with the wire brush, transport pulleys to feed the film from the reels past the said wire brush, and weighted rollers loosely ar ranged in depending loops of the film before and after the saidbrush and adapted to exert a self-regulating pressure of the film against the brush.

3. A device for cleaning and smoothing films and the like, comprising a main casing serving as a machine stand, a driving motor ithin the said casing, a closed casing outside the main casing, a metal wire brush rotatably arranged in the side casing, a shaft for rotating the said wire brush passing through the main casing and driven from the electric motor'within the said casing, slots in the side casing for the film to pass through in peripheral contact with the wirebrush, fast transport rollers driven from the electric motor over a countershaft' arrangement, loose weighted rollers each inserted in a loop formed in the film before and after the Wire brush, and slots in the side. walls of the main casing to guide the axles of the loose weighted rollers during any up and down movement caused by the moving film.

at. A device for cleaning and smoothing worn films and the like comprising a machine stand, metallic wire brushes rotatably arranged on the machine stand, means for moving a film past and in contact with the said wire brushes, Weighted rollers loosely inserted in depending loops of the film and adapted to exert a self-adjusting constant pressure between the film and e'achfof the said metallic wire brushes, slots to guide the V axles of the saidweighted rollers, electric contacts near the ends of the said slots 1 adapted to be closed bythe Weighted rollers when the film becomes excessively slack or tight, and an electric device in the circuit of the said contacts to be actuated upon the closing thereof.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JQHANN JACOB FRlEDRlCl-l STOCIQ 

